Oh my goodness! I'm soooo sorry for the late update! I actually had this chapter all ready to submit by Sunday, but I kept on delaying submitting it coz I was so unhappy with it. So... I eventually deleted it all and started again xD; Hope you guys aren't too mad with me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha (Rumiko Takahashi) or Bad Day (Daniel Powter)

Weeks passed. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Kagome didn't mention the car outside her house and Inuyasha knew better than to push her. They had been on a few dates now and were perhaps a little closer, but Kagome could switch from lovey-dovey to furiously angry in a moment.

Inuyasha found himself getting used to the whole scheming thing; he held hands, flirted and kissed without hesitation or guilt. But not seeing Kikyo worried him. Sure, there was the occasional text message and she was always sitting only a couple of rows away from him in English class, but they hadn't actually talked in quite a while. And he couldn't get rid of that image in his head; the one of her and the anonymous boy hovering over her, the flirtatious smirk on her lips and the flip of her jet black hair. Just thinking about it made his stomach twist into knots.

So it was with his thoughts full of Kikyo that he greeted Kagome in the corridor. She was standing with Yuka and Ayumi, making no attempt to conceal her boredom. Upon seeing him she smiled and pecked him on the cheek.

"Hey, Inuyasha," she greeted, "Glad you're here. You saved me from the two dullest conversationalists on the planet." She laughed as though this was some kind of joke, but Ayumi and Yuka obviously heard the razor-sharp edge to her voice.

Inuyasha gave a small bow. "Glad to be of service. How was Drama?"

Kagome wrinkled her nose. "Urgh," she told him, "Don't ask. Anyway, I have to get something from my locker."

"Oh yeah, so do I!" Yuka babbled. She took a step forward – obviously she believed Kagome wanted them to mirror her every step – but stopped after receiving a cold, hard glare that could chill anyone to the bone. She stuttered for a moment, her face pale, afraid she'd upset her. "Uh… o-on the other hand… i-it can w-w-wait."

Kagome's eyes turned to her 'boyfriend'. "Inuyasha?" she asked.

Inuyasha nodded and smiled. "Sure."

And so they set off to Kagome's locker, Ayumi and Yuka heading off in the opposite direction. Inuyasha's sensitive ears picked up a slapping noise and Yuka's small yelp. Huh. Ayumi can't have been too happy with Yuka's slip-up.

"So," Kagome said conversationally, "Do you have any plans for tonight?"

Inuyasha frowned and shook his head. "No. Why, you wanna go to the mall of something?"

Kagome shook her head. "The mall? No, I was thinking more along the lines of going to my house."

Even Kagome seemed a little surprised at her request. Inuyasha hesitated. He hadn't discussed this with Kikyo. But going to her place was a good thing, right? Besides, if things got too hot and heavy, he could always think of an excuse and leave.

So he nodded his head and smiled. "Sure. Why not?"

"Alright." Kagome stepped away from her locker and closed it. Inuyasha's eyebrow rose.

"What?" she demanded.

"Didn't you have to get something?"

She shook her head. "Nope. The pests can get so irritating sometimes. They were giving me a headache."

"The pests?" Inuyasha blurted out before he could stop himself.

Kagome looked at him quizzically. "So?"

"Aren't they your friends?"

To his surprise, she laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh; it was overflowing with bitterness. "Friends? Who needs friends? Friends are people you let into your heart; people you give the opportunity to break it. They're no more than acquaintances."

Inuyasha didn't say anything, but inwardly he was turning the words over in his head. Has someone broken your heart, Kagome Higarashi? He didn't voice the thought, but somehow it made sense.

-

-

Kagome had no idea why she'd decided to let Inuyasha into her house. Somehow, it seemed as though she was showing him part of her life. No one saw that part of her life. But it was okay; no one would be home at that moment.

Or at least, that's what she thought.

When they reached the quaint brown brick house there was a car parked in the driveway; a silver Porsche this time. Her heart plummeted, but she maintained a smooth expression. Perhaps she could just turn around and…

No. Inuyasha would be suspicious if she did that. He would just have to meet her family. If 'family' was the right word, which it certainly wasn't. His reaction would be a good indicator as to his personality.

"Nice car." Inuyasha commented.

"Whatever." Kagome muttered.

She opened the door, deliberately slamming it against the opposite wall with a loud thud.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked in a loud voice, barely able to keep the smirk from her face. Oh how she loved being a pain.

"Uh, no thanks." Inuyasha was obviously more than a little confused at her actions.

"Kagome, quit the noise!"

And there she was. Kagome watched the woman stumble into the room, chocolate brown eyes ringed with dark circles, raven hair in disarray, mouth shaped into a snarl. The silk gown was far too revealing; the woman didn't sleep in pyjamas. In fact, she rarely slept at home at all.

"What's with all the racket?! Don't you realise some people are trying to sleep?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha, meet my mother."

Only then did the woman seem to notice the hanyou beside her. Chocolate brown eyes looked him up and down, sizing him up. Obviously she liked what she saw. A small smirk lifted the corners of her mouth and her eyes glinted with mischief.

"Well, well; Inuyasha, was it? Aren't you a handsome one?" she giggled a little and held out her hand. "I'm Korari. What a pleasure to meet you." As she spoke, the silk dressing gown loosened a little, exposing even more bare skin. Korari didn't seem to mind. Inuyasha believed she did it on purpose.

"Well mother, don't you have some sleep to catch up on?" Kagome asked icily.

Korari stared at her daughter for a long moment and Inuyasha honestly believed she was going to slap her. Then she smiled and winked at him.

"I guess you're right. Play nicely, kids—and I wouldn't mind getting to know this one better when you're done."

And then she was gone, swaying her hips as she disappeared up the stairs. Inuyasha swallowed and turned to Kagome questioningly.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

Kagome shrugged. "She's just a freak, that's all. I'm getting a soda. Want one?"

Inuyasha nodded and started following her to the kitchen. He stopped when he came to the living room. Something sleek and black had caught his eye—something that obviously didn't fit in a messy, disorderly house like this. It was a grand piano, nestled in the corner, manuscript paper covering every possible space. He moved closer, letting his fingers move softly over the notes.

"What are you doing?"

Inuyasha turned to Kagome. She looked wary and suspicious, like he was holding a knife over the piano instead of his fingers. He decidedly ignored her question and asked one of his own.

"Do you play?" he wanted to know.

Kagome shrugged. "Yeah, so what?"

"Can you play something now?"

This made her pause. Obviously no one had asked this before. Eventually she nodded and, leaving the soda cans on the coffee table, took her seat on the stool. She gestured to several plastic black folders stacked neatly on the floor. "Pick a song."

Inuyasha eyed the folders in disbelief. "Any song?"

"That's what I said."

A couple of minutes were spent leafing through page after page of music before Inuyasha came to a decision. He gestured to it and could have sworn he saw the corners of Kagome's mouth rise into a ghost of a smile.

Slowly her fingers poured over the keys, moving faster as she moved into the first verse. Her lips moved into a soft smile and she opened her mouth, the memorised words coming with ease, the notes never faltering.

Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to gray
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on

You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee you go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces every time
And I don't need no carryin' on

Inuyasha was stunned. The voice was pure, untainted; nothing nasal or try-hard about it. Was this really the girl everyone feared, the very depths of evil as so many described her? Right now there was no sign of that person, only a troubled heart who had fears and hopes like everyone else. As the chorus began his voice joined hers. Kagome didn't stop. Her fingers ran through the song with practiced ease, eyes closed now; she didn't need to read the music. She knew every note off by heart already.

Because you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Will you need a blue sky holiday?
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on

You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day

Kagome's voice grew louder, every word wrapped thickly in emotion. Inuyasha's rose, too. For just a moment their eyes met and he could see the pure, unrelenting happiness it gave her to sit here and sing out her feelings.

Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong

So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day...

The last few chords trailed off into silence. Neither spoke for a long time. The magic that had joined them together had lifted. Now Inuyasha opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to form the right words. He got the feeling he was doing a great job at impersonating a goldfish.

"You're a wonderful pianist." He said lamely.

Kagome shrugged off the praise, but Inuyasha thought he saw the faint tinge of red on her cheeks as she turned away. "Not really. I've just had plenty of practice, that's all."

"Maybe we should play together sometime." Okay, that was a total slip of the tongue. Where had that come from?

Kagome's eyebrow rose. She looked… interested. "You play?" she asked inquisitively.

Inuyasha nodded and scratched his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I've been learning the guitar for a while now."

"Acoustic?"

"Yeah. I prefer the sound."

And Kagome actually smiled. It wasn't one of those evil smirks, either. The gleaming white teeth had never looked so beautiful before.

"I know what you mean."

"Oi! Keep it down in there!" Kagome's mother yelled hoarsely from upstairs. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Is it always like this?" Inuyasha asked softly.

Kagome suddenly seemed torn between the need for someone to talk to and self-preservation. Eventually, self-preservation won. "I guess. Whatever. It doesn't change anything." the cold glare had come back into full swing. "You should probably go." She added.

Inuyasha swallowed and nodded. He thought he'd gotten used to Kagome's mood swings, but apparently he was wrong.

"Okay. See you later?"

"Yeah. See you."

Inuyasha walked out of the house, thousands of thoughts pushing against the walls of his mind. This was too much. According to Kikyo, Kagome was some type of evil machine with no other programming other than to kill, or ruin everyone else's minds at least. According to Kikyo, Kagome was indestructible. But today Inuyasha had seen another side to her; the human side. It called, beckoned to him in all its irresistible glory. He wanted the truth. He wanted to know the Kagome Higarashi behind the icy charade.

And he wanted to talk to Kikyo.

-

-

Kagome didn't show Inuyasha to the door. She sat frozen on her piano stool. Physically she was perfectly still, but mentally her brain and her heart were locked in a frenzied battle. Her brain was screaming to dump him; to be done with the hanyou before he caused any damage. But her heart didn't want that. It urged her to keep him, that the singing had been a good thing. That Inuyasha was a good person.

She didn't know how long she stayed like that. Eventually her mother came downstairs to down a couple of aspirin. Kagome fixed her with her most spiteful glare as she stood, gulping down a cold glass of water. Eventually the older woman sighed and wiped her mouth on her sleeve, turning to face her daughter.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No," Kagome sneered, "It's just your face in general. You know, it being so ugly and all…"

Korari scowled and they both glared at one another for a moment. Korari was the first to break away.

"So who was the guy? Oonayasha?"

"Inuyasha." Kagome corrected frostily.

Korari looked thoughtful. "He was pretty cute. For a hanyou and all. I want him when you're done."

"Unlike you, I'm not some scumbag who sleeps around for the fun of it."

"Watch your tongue, brat!"

"Or you'll what?! Kick me out?! Starve me?! Make me cry? What will you do?! There's nothing you can threaten me with! My life's already screwed up as it is!"

Korari winced and rubbed her temples, sending another sharp glare in Kagome's direction. "Keep it down, would ya? My head is killing me."

Kagome snorted in disgust. "I bet you can't even remember his name. Who was he? Did you even stop to look at his face before you jumped in his pants?"

Korari's headache seemed to disappear. Her face contorted, turning bright red with rage. "GO TO YOUR ROOM!!" she screamed.

Kagome didn't need to be told twice. Ignoring her mother's shrieks, she slammed the bedroom door shut behind her and buried her face into her pillow. The soft material muffled the shaky sobs, soon turning soggy from the masses of tears streams down her cheeks. From her bedside table a face smiled, the eyes staring at her with that boyish glint she missed so much. She hugged the photo to her body and cried until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Hm... I usually don't put whole songs in stories... but I might make a few exceptions. ;) I really thought this fit well with the story.

Sorry if you guys thought Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship was a bit rushed. If you do, it's probably because technically there was another chapter before this one that I decided not to submit.

...Reviews...

Say0mi Saki: Ahaha I'm a hopeless romantic, too. Sappy movies instant love :) But yeah hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Diamond369: Yeah lol it's a little obvious, isn't it? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be too happy if my boyfriend went and pretty much flirted with another girl right in front of my face..

Pink Priestess: I'm gonna leave you guessing on that one. ;)

Daeth101-Fox version: You'll have to wait and see, but the pieces will start to come together pretty soon. :)

animearlinefreak: Aw I'm glad you read it, too! Lol and you'll have to wait if you want to see Kags's dad...

Sesshomaru's Megumi: Lol of course I'll include him! And Rin as well. But that'll probably have to wait for a while, so I hope you don't mind.

JoBrosCupcakeSwirl: Lol thanks! I play the piano and sing a bit - even though I'm not very good - so I wanted to incorporate that into Kagome's character. Hope I did okay. :)

TiffanyM: Thanks!

xxRockerElla: Hm... not quite right about the dad, but you'll meet Kags's dad later in the story. I love listening to people guess, though! So... guess who the guy in the picture is! ;)

whitetiger-isabella: Thank you!

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